SAN DIEGO – Pacific Gas & Electric claimed the top spot in the Solar Electric Power Association’s (SEPA’s) Top 10 rankings of U.S. utilities that put the most megawatts of solar on the grid in 2014. Meanwhile, the Pickwick Electric Cooperative of Selmer, Tenn., was named No. 1 in the rankings for adding the most solar watts per customer.

The eighth annual Top 10 rankings, announced April 29 at SEPA’s Utility Solar Conference in San Diego, are part of the educational nonprofit’s 2014 Utility Solar Market Snapshot report.

The full report, also released at the conference, identifies key industry trends, including:

Utility-scale solar’s ongoing importance as a main driver of market growth,

The emergence of dynamic solar markets outside California and Arizona

The impact of the industry’s continuing focus on cutting nonhardware “soft” costs, along with utilities’ efforts to improve their interconnection processes

Utilities ranking in this year’s Top 10 accounted for 72 percent of all new solar interconnections on the grid in 2014. California’s other two investor-owned utilities — Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric — were No. 2 and 3, respectively, behind PG&E on the Top 10 list for solar megawatts added in 2014.

“We are 100 percent committed to solar energy and its role in California’s energy future,” said Laurie Giammona, PG&E’s Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer. “Together with our customers and partners, we have worked to shorten connection times and help solar grow in our state. SEPA’s recognition shows this collaboration is paying off.”

On the watts-per-customer list, the Farmers Electric Cooperative of Kalona, Iowa and the City of St. George Energy Services Department in Utah, held down the No. 2 and 3 spots, behind the Pickwick Co-op.

“We saw it as an economic development engine for us,” Karl Dudley, Pickwick’s recently retired general manager, said of the two 16-megawatt solar installations that helped the co-op clinch the No. 1 ranking in watts per customer. “It made a statement: our utility is in the 21st century.”

“The achievements of small cooperatives such as Pickwick underline solar energy’s momentum across the United States. The market is no longer confined to California or a few other states,” said Julia Hamm, SEPA’s President and CEO. “Our Solar Market Snapshot also shows the leadership that utilities are providing as the industry works toward creating the new business models and regulatory frameworks needed to ensure a clean, affordable and sustainable energy future for all.”

The 2014 Utility Solar Market Snapshot, with full Top 10 listings, can be found at www.sepatop10.org.

]]>http://www.tnelectric.org/2015/05/02/pickwick-ec-leads-national-solar-rankings/feed/0Chickasaw EC recognized as solar leaderhttp://www.tnelectric.org/2013/08/09/chickasaw-ec-recognized-as-solar-leader/
http://www.tnelectric.org/2013/08/09/chickasaw-ec-recognized-as-solar-leader/#commentsFri, 09 Aug 2013 14:36:10 +0000Trent Scotthttp://www.tnelectric.org/?p=2832Somerville, Tenn.—A renewable energy survey recognizes the customers of Chickasaw Electric Cooperative as one of the top consumers of solar-generated power in the nation. According the report from the Solar Electric Power Association, CEC generates an average of 216.7 watts of solar energy per customer, the fifth most of any utility in the nation.

This is the first time Chickasaw EC has ranked on the survey. The recognition follows the installation of the West Tennessee Solar Farm in early 2012, which generates 5 megawatts of solar power brought onto the TVA power grid through Chickasaw EC.

The West Tennessee Solar Farm, located in Haywood County, is a cooperative program between the University of Tennessee, Chickasaw EC, TVA and others. It adds about five megawatts of solar power onto the TVA grid, which is enough to power 500 homes. The power harnessed at the solar farm enters the TVA grid through Chickasaw EC lines. The West Tennessee Solar Farm is the largest single source of solar power in the TVA system.

John Collins, General Manager for Chickasaw EC accepted a plaque to mark the occasion at the utility’s August 6 annual meeting in Somerville.

“It is a true honor to be recognized by SEPA for our efforts to add solar power to the TVA system,” Collins said. “The West Tennessee Solar Farm is a tremendous asset to our community and to know it is one of the top per capita generating systems in the country is a feather in our cap.”

TVA currently owns or purchases more than 6,315 megawatts of renewable generation capacity, including 77 megawatts of solar energy.

]]>http://www.tnelectric.org/2013/08/09/chickasaw-ec-recognized-as-solar-leader/feed/0PEC to interconnect massive solar farmhttp://www.tnelectric.org/2013/08/01/pec-to-interconnect-massive-solar-farm/
http://www.tnelectric.org/2013/08/01/pec-to-interconnect-massive-solar-farm/#commentsThu, 01 Aug 2013 20:18:06 +0000Trent Scotthttp://www.tnelectric.org/?p=2823SELMER, Tenn. — Strata Solar is working with the Tennessee Valley Authority and Pickwick Electric Cooperative to develop the two largest solar energy installations in the Tennessee Valley near Selmer in McNairy County, Tenn.

Strata Solar will build and maintain two 20-megawatt solar farms interconnected to the TVA power system through Pickwick Electric Cooperative. TVA will buy the electricity at market rates under TVA’s Renewable Standard Offer program.

Together, the two installations could generate enough electricity in one year to power 4,000 average homes in the Tennessee Valley.

“This project will add a tremendous amount of solar power to our already strong renewable lineup,” said Patty West, TVA director of Renewable Energy Programs. “Because TVA is purchasing the output at market rates, the electricity will also be among our cheapest solar power, moving us toward our vision of being a national leader in providing low-cost and cleaner energy.”

Current plans call for the solar farms to have more than 160,000 solar panels installed on over 300 acres. Each farm will be four times bigger than the largest current solar installation on the TVA system – the University of Tennessee’s 5-megawatt West Tennessee Solar Farm that opened in 2012 in Haywood County, Tenn.

“We are thrilled to be working with TVA & PEC on these pioneering solar projects,” said Markus Wilhelm, founder and CEO of Strata Solar. “The town of Selmer has been extremely welcoming to Strata and very helpful throughout the project planning. We are looking forward to bringing a wealth of new jobs and an abundance of renewable energy to such a fine city.”

Karl Dudley, president of Pickwick Electric, said, “We are proud to be an integral part of TVA’s goal to build a stronger renewable portfolio. This project will also spur economic development in our area, and that is always a good thing.”

The Strata Solar projects have been accepted into TVA’s Renewable Standard Offer program, pending an environmental review and interconnection studies that must be completed before construction begins. TVA is accepting public comments on the environmental review at www.tva.com/environment/reports/strata/ through Aug. 13, 2013.

TVA currently owns or purchases more than 6,400 megawatts of renewable generation, including 77 megawatts of solar energy. It also supports the renewable energy industry through its Green Power Switch, Green Power Providers, and Solar Solutions Initiatives programs.

Strata Solar LLC, based in Chapel Hill, N.C., is an integrated solar energy company that owns and operates commercial and utility scale solar energy systems. With over 150 megawatts commissioned and a gigawatt under development, Strata is one of the nation’s largest solar integrators. For more information, please visit www.StrataSolar.com.

]]>http://www.tnelectric.org/2013/08/01/pec-to-interconnect-massive-solar-farm/feed/0DREMC solar farm launchedhttp://www.tnelectric.org/2012/08/16/dremc-solar-farm-launched/
http://www.tnelectric.org/2012/08/16/dremc-solar-farm-launched/#commentsThu, 16 Aug 2012 20:59:14 +0000Trent Scotthttp://www.tnelectric.org/?p=2265(Shelbyville, TN) Duck River Electric Membership Cooperative became the first electric cooperative in the seven state TVA service territory offering members access to green power through the newly constructed 25.92kW solar farm. Ribbon cutting festivities were held Wednesday, August 15th at 1:00pm. Representatives from DREMC’s Board of Directors, DREMC management staff, local school officials, students, elected officials and TVA representatives attended the event.

The DREMC Solar Farm Limited Partnership is located at 1411 Madison Street in Shelbyville, TN. Duck River Electric is the fourth largest electric cooperative in the state providing power to approximately 71,000 homes and businesses in all or portions of Bedford, Coffee, Franklin, Giles, Grundy, Hickman, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Marion, Marshall, Maury, Moore, Rutherford, Warren and Williamson counties.

The new DREMC Solar Farm Limited Partnership allows its members to invest in solar energy without the cost of installing or maintaining their own system. “Many people don’t want to incur the cost of home solar installation or their location isn’t ideal for solar because of their home design or an abundance of shade trees in the yard,” said Jim Allison, President and Chief Executive Officer of DREMC. “This allows our members to participate in solar energy sustainability efforts at a fraction of the cost of installing their own system.”

DREMC members can invest for as little as $600 for one unit of limited partnership interest. They will see an energy credit on their monthly bill for the duration of their ownership of the unit(s) of interest in the DREMC Solar Farm. Member investors will receive premium pricing offered by TVA in their Generation Partners Program that will help offset their original investment. DREMC will also provide its members with financing for up to a year.

“The partnership with TVA gives our members the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of the solar industry,” said Allison. “We’re proud to offer our members the chance to support efforts in making green energy more widely available and have located this installation in proximity to elementary, middle and high schools so that it can be used as a teaching tool as well.”

Duck River Electric Membership Corporation is a member owned electric distribution cooperative founded in 1936 that currently serves nearly 71,000 members with its headquarters in Shelbyville, TN. Additional information can be found at www.dremc.com.